Without giving further detail, Kolivand said that “the condition is not good.”…reports Asian Lite News
The chief of Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has confirmed that rescue and search teams have identified President Ebrahim Raisi’s crashed chopper. The chopper also had Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian and seven others on board.
After a search operation lasting several hours, the emergency services were still around 2 kilometres away from the site and had identified the helicopter, head of IRCS, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, said on state television on Monday morning.
Without giving further detail, Kolivand said that “the condition is not good.”
“73 rescue teams are present in the search area of the helicopter in Tawal village with advanced and specialised equipment,” he added.
However, there are no signs of survivors, as per reports.
Rescue workers in Iran continued their search on ground on Sunday for the helicopter carrying nine people including the Iranian President and Foreign Minister, after it went missing in the mountainous terrain, state media reported.
A total of 65 rescue teams, including those from the Iranian armed forces, had been deployed to East Azerbaijan Province in Iran’s northwest, where the helicopter has been located.
Iranian state television also reported that the helicopter carrying the President suffered a “hard landing”…reports Asian Lite News
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several other senior leaders, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, was missing in the country’s east Azerbaijan on Sunday after an ‘incident’ amid bad weather, and rescue teams were scouring the area to trace it amid dense fog and heavy rain.
As darkness and adverse weather conditions hampered the search by armed forces personnel, including of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), amid confusion over contradictory reports over the detection of the helicopter, there were reports that signals from it and the mobile phone of a member of the flight crew have been detected.
“We are now moving toward the area with all military forces and I hope we can give good news to the people,” IRGC regional commander Asghar Abbasgholizadeh was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
He also said that the “area no longer has capacity for more forces”, given that 40 teams were already in the area.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami was also reaching the area to help lead search-and-rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, a local weather official said the area where the President’s helicopter went down is expected to keep seeing rain and dense fog through the night.
Raisi was returning from meeting his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the border area, where the two leaders inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam, a joint project, when the incident occurred.
As per Iranian media, the helicopter – one of three travelling in a convoy – made a “hard landing” after it got into difficulties in heavy fog in northern Iran.
Tasnim said that there were three helicopters in the convoy, two of which carrying ministers and officials had “arrived at their destination safely”.
It was still unclear what happened exactly to the third, with most Iranian media outlets reporting it made a “hard landing”.
“However, some of the president’s companions on this helicopter were able to communicate with Central Headquarters, raising hopes that the incident could have ended without casualties,” Tasnim said in a post on X.
Iranian state television also reported that the helicopter carrying the President suffered a “hard landing”.
Mehr News Agency initially reported that Raisi labelled reports of the accident as a “rumour” and said that the President and his convoy were travelling from Khodaafarin to Tabriz by land. However, it later deleted this update.
Earlier, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi admitted that rescuers were still struggling to reach the site of the accident due to the difficult weather conditions.
Ahmad Alirezabeigi, the MP of Tabriz, had also said that emergency rescue workers were trying to find the location of the helicopter in a forested area near the town of Varzeqan, and around 50 km north of Tabriz, the capital of the east Azerbaijan province.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed concern about the incident and also sought to assure the people.
“We hope that God returns the honourable president and his companions to the arms of the nation.”
“All must pray for the health of this group of civil servants. The Iranian nation must not be concerned or worried, there will be no disruption in the work of the country,” he said at an event.
Azerbaijan’s Aliev expressed his concern and offered to extend any help needed. Offers of help have also come in from Russia, Iraq, Armenia, and Saudi Arabia, while Turkey has despatched a mountain rescue team, as per reports.
The European Commission is also activating its rapid response satellite mapping service to aid search efforts, following a request for assistance from Iran, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was “deeply concerned” about the incident and that his country stood in solidarity with Iran’s people.
In case of any mishappening, Raisi, who has been President since 2021, could be succeeded by his First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who will hold the office till elections for a new President.
Iran has requested a night vision search and rescue helicopter from Turkey following the helicopter accident, the Turkish disaster management agency said…reports Asian Lite News
Turkey has sent a drone to participate in the search and rescue operations for the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which had an accident in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azerbaijan.
“Based on the request made by the Iranian authorities through the Foreign Ministry, an Akinci UAV and a Cougar-type helicopter with night vision capability were assigned to participate in the search and rescue activities of the crashed helicopter of the President of Iran and his delegation,” the Defence Ministry said on Sunday evening in a statement.
The drone has been dispatched, while the helicopter remains on standby, prepared to engage pending favourable weather conditions, according to the Ministry as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
Iran has requested a night vision search and rescue helicopter from Turkey following the helicopter accident, the Turkish disaster management agency said.
Turkey is also sending 32 search and rescue mountaineers and six vehicles to support Iran’s rescue operation, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said in a statement.
In addition, mountaineer search and rescue teams, consisting of 15 people each from Ankara, Diyarbakir, and Konya provinces are on standby to be dispatched, the statement added.
Turkey closely follows the incident in full liaison and coordination with the Iranian authorities and is ready to provide all necessary support, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said on social media platform X on Sunday.
The site of the helicopter accident is close to Turkey’s eastern Van province.
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi had an accident and made a hard landing in East Azerbaijan on Sunday, the state-run IRIB TV reported.
The possible site of the incident has been determined to be in Varzaqan, nearly 670 km away from the capital Tehran, and rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene, the report said.
Iran Holds Emergency Meeting After Raisi’s Helicopter Accident
The Iranian Cabinet has convened for an emergency meeting in light of the helicopter accident involving President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian, state media reported.
The first Vice-President, Mohammad Mokhber, chaired the meeting late Sunday evening, state news agency IRNA reported.
He initiated further measures for the rescue operation.
According to protocol, Mockber would become President in the event of Raisi’s death.
Rescue workers continued to search on foot after dark for the scene of the helicopter accident, in poor weather conditions.
A total of 65 rescue teams were involved in the search for the helicopter’s crew, including the Iranian armed forces.
According to the Tasnim news agency, the accident site has been located.
The Iranian government asked the rescue services in neighbouring Turkey for assistance in the search. Both Turkey and Russia had offered their help.
In particular, helicopters with night vision equipment were requested.
Meanwhile, special mountain rescue units also arrived in the accident region, IRNA reported.
The Iranian President’s helicopter came in for what has been called a “hard landing” on Sunday in the northwest of the country after a meeting between Raisi and the President of neighbouring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) caps for the operators have been increased substantially for both single and twin-engine helicopters to enhance financial viability for operating the awarded routes…reports Asian Lite News
Following four successful rounds of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) and with version 5.0 of the fifth round underway, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched UDAN 5.1 further to enhance the connectivity to remote areas of the country and achieve last mile connectivity through helicopters, said an official statement on Wednesday.
For the first time under RCS-UDAN, this round is designed specifically for helicopter routes. The main features include, an increase in the scope of operations for operators wherein the scheme will now allow routes where one of the origin or destination locations is in a priority area. Earlier both points had to be in priority areas, read the official statement further. Airfare caps have been reduced by as much as 25% to make flying in helicopters more affordable for passengers.
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) caps for the operators have been increased substantially for both single and twin-engine helicopters to enhance financial viability for operating the awarded routes.
“The latest round of UDAN scheme is a testament to two emerging phenomenon in Indian civil aviation – one, a deeper democratisation of air travel with a focus on last-mile connectivity. Second, a growing appetite for helicopters in aiding tourism. Greater helicopter penetration through such efforts will help boost tourism, hospitality, and thus, our local economies. UDAN 5.1 heralds a new dawn not just for civil aviation, but also for India’s remote & unserved regions.” said Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel.
The current version of the scheme has been designed after consultations with all stakeholders including helicopter operators. While the intended target is to provide last-mile connectivity, it is also projected to give the helicopter segment of the Indian civil aviation industry a much-needed boost.
It may be mentioned that to date 46 helicopter routes have been operationalized under previous rounds of the scheme benefitting a number of hilly and North East states and this round is targeting coverage of a much larger number of routes, mentions the official statement.
"Soon #UDAN 5.1 is going to be launched to further strengthen the last mile connectivity and provide seamless movement for Tier 3 cities to international sectors."
— Office Of JM Scindia (@Officejmscindia) May 24, 2023
Under the UDAN scheme passengers have received the benefit of air connectivity, airlines have received concessions for operating regional routes, and unserved regions have received the direct and indirect benefits of air connectivity for their economic development. The present version of the scheme will be another step towards the Prime Minister’s vision of allowing the common man to travel by air at affordable fares to remote destinations of the country. (ANI)
Nine US servicemen of elite unit killed in chopper collision
Crew members were flying “during a routine training mission when the incident occurred”, the Fort Campbell base said in a statement on Facebook…reports Asian Lite News
Nine US servicemen of the elite 101st Airborne Division – the US Army’s sole air assault formation – were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a “routine training mission” in US’ Kentucky state late on Wednesday, media reports said.
The incident, involving the 101st Airborne Division, happened during a training mission near the Fort Campbell military base at around 10 p.m. local time (2 a.m. GMT) on Wednesday, the BBC reported.
It said the US military officials termed the incident as a “truly tragic loss”.
Crew members were flying “during a routine training mission when the incident occurred”, the Fort Campbell base said in a statement on Facebook.
Kentucky State Police got the call at around 10.15 p.m. (local time) and rushed to an area with a field and woods, State Police Post 1 spokesperson Trooper Sarah Burgess said, adding that no residential areas are affected.
As per the BBC, a US Army spokesperson, in a statement issued earlier, said two HH60 Black Hawk helicopters had crashed during “a routine training mission” and the incident was under investigation and more information would be released as they become available.
CFM will exclusively power the airline’s newly-announced fleet of 210 Airbus A320/A321neo and 190 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft…reports Asian Lite News
French aviation and defence equipment manufacturer Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have signed a workshare agreement for the joint development of the engine intended for the future 13-tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval version Deck Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH).
The French major and HAL had signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2022 to create a new joint venture intended to develop helicopter engines under the Indian government’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
Wednesday’s agreement stipulates the sharing of activities within the joint venture where both parties have agreed on an equivalent repartition. In particular, HAL will take part in the design, development, and production of some of the core engine components, which is a breakthrough achievement in terms of expertise and know-how in the country.
The workshare agreement was signed by HAL Aero Engine Research and Design Centre General Manager K Ramesh and Safran Helicopter Engines’ EVP Sales and Marketing Florent Chauvancy in presence of HAL CMD C B Ananthakrishnan and Franck Saudo, CEO, Safran Helicopter Engines.
“The development of the IMRH helicopter continues, and a 1/3 scale model was displayed by HAL at Aero India 2023. Discussions are also continuing with the Indian Armed Forces on the operational requirements for this new helicopter,” Safran said in a statement after the workshare agreement signing.
It stated that the availability of an indigenous engine will enhance the self-reliance content on the platform and demonstrates the commitment of both Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL to the Narendra Modi government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat – particularly in defence technologies.
“The joint development of high power engine is a new milestone in HALs ever-growing capabilities in the sector with a competent partner like Safran Helicopter Engines. We are confident of making the engine meet the highly stringent and demanding requirements of Indian Defence customers,” said HAL CMD Ananthakrishnan.
Calling HAL its “partner for decades”, Saudo asserted that this programme will bring many advanced technologies to the Indian aerospace ecosystem and will also provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art solutions.
Both Safran and HAL will continue to work on the development of this joint venture in the coming months, which is intended not only to develop an engine for the IMRH, but also for other helicopters.
They also agreed on the condition for the transfer right to HAL for manufacturing of seven critical forging and casting raw parts, for further enhancement of indigenous content in Shakti engine of Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) programmes.
On Tuesday, Air India and CFM International – a joint company between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines – signed an agreement for the largest-ever CFM LEAP engine order.
CFM will exclusively power the airline’s newly-announced fleet of 210 Airbus A320/A321neo and 190 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft.
Air India’s firm order for 800 LEAP engines includes 420 LEAP-1A, 380 LEAP-1B, plus spares. Air India also signed a CFM services contract.
The LEAP engine family has achieved one of the fastest accumulations of flight hours in commercial aviation history, amassing more than 27 million engine flight hours and 11 million flight cycles.
BAE Systems to make simulators to train military pilots
British defence technology company BAE Systems and FSTC on Wednesday announced plans to design, build and supply world-leading simulators to train pilots of the Indian armed forces.
As per the MoU announced at the ongoing Aero India 2023, the two companies will work together to develop a Twin Dome Full Mission Simulator for BAE Systems’ Hawk Mk132 fast jet trainer aircraft.
The use of a realistic synthetic environment will help pilots train at a higher standard than ever before, the statement said.
The Hawk Mk132 has supported the training of highly-trained pilots to the Indian Air Force for more than two decades, with many aircraft built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) under licence from BAE Systems.
BAE Systems
There are now 650 Hawks operating worldwide and BAE Systems has decades of experience working with armed forces across the globe to deliver and evolve training to prepare pilots for life in fast jet cockpits.
FSTC is India’s leading flight simulation training company. It will integrate the cockpit, motion and visual display system, along with model designated military bases as part of the new agreement.
According to Ravi Nirgudkar, Managing Director, BAE Systems – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the collaboration with FSTC will enhance capabilities for the Indian armed forces.
“Having worked with the Indian Air Force to support training of highly-trained pilots through Hawk, we can bring our knowledge of the world’s most proven fast jet trainer with our expertise in delivering training from the classroom to the frontline – and everything in between,” Nirgudkar said.
The full mission simulator is due to be installed within 24 months, the statement added.
Intense fighting between the M23 and the DRC forces was reported starting Sunday…reports Arul Louis
Six Pakistani peacekeepers have been killed along with two others when their helicopter went down in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the UN.
Confirming their deaths, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that a search and rescue mission found their bodies.
The six crew members of the helicopter were from Pakistan and the two others on the flight were military personnel from Russia and Serbia, he said.
The helicopter that was on a reconnaissance mission in the area of Tshanzu, south-east of Rutshuru in North Kivu went down on Tuesday, he said.
“There have been clashes there between the M23 armed group and Congolese forces in recent days,” he said.
The M23 is a rebel organisation that has regrouped after being routed nearly a decade ago by DRC troops and UN peacekeepers and it has launched attacks on the DRC military.
Intense fighting between the M23 and the DRC forces was reported starting Sunday.
Eight #UN peacekeepers were killed in a helicopter crash in the Democratic Republic of #Congo while undertaking a reconnaissance mission, the #Pakistani military’s media wing said. It added six Pakistani troops were among those killed. pic.twitter.com/O2LuC7Cxaf
Dujarric said that an investigation into the crash was underway.
AfricaNews, however, reported that according to the DRC armed forces, the helicopter was shot down.
It quoted a press release from the armed forces as saying, “The helicopter was one of the two MONUSCO reconnaissance helicopters with on board eight Blue helmets (peacekeepers) crew members and United Nations observers.”
MONUSCO is the French acronym for the UN peacekeeping operation in the DRC.
South Asian peacekeepers dominate the 14,000-strong military segment of the operation with 1,974 from Pakistan, 1,888 from India, 1,634 from Bangladesh and 936 from Nepal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b8m5CcYoI0
The peacekeeping operations in the DRC — the current MONUSCO and its previous version known as MONUC — are among the deadliest with at least 400 killed.
Thirty Indian peacekeepers have died in the operations, as have 33 from Pakistan, 31 from Bangladesh and seven from Nepal.
UN CHIEF SADDENED
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was saddened by the deaths of eight peacekeepers in a helicopter crash in the Congo.
The secretary general was deeply saddened to confirm the deaths of eight peacekeepers onboard a Puma helicopter that crashed in North Kivu province of the Congo, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’ spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The helicopter was on a reconnaissance mission in Tshanzu, where there have been clashes between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and the Congo military in recent days, it said, adding that an investigation is underway.
Guterres expressed his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and the governments of Pakistan, Russia and Serbia, the peacekeepers’ home countries.
He is deeply concerned by the resurgence of M23 activities in the Rwanda-Congo-Uganda border area and the ongoing impact of violence involving armed groups on civilians, said the statement.
The secretary-general reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting the Congolese government and people in their effort to bring peace and stability to the eastern provinces of the country, it said.
